Causes & Effects of Gambling Disorder

Understanding Gambling Disorder

Learn About Gambling Disorder

Gambling disorder, which is sometimes referred to as compulsive gambling, pathological gambling, or gambling addiction, is characterized by persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling-related behavior that has a negative effect on an individual’s personal, professional, and social well-being. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, people who exhibit four or more of the following behaviors during a 12-month period meet the criteria for a diagnosis of gambling disorder:

Needing to gamble with increasingly larger amounts of money in order to experience the desired level of excitement

Becoming restless or irritable when trying to limit or cease gambling

Making several unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop gambling

Developing a preoccupation with gambling, including having persistent gambling-related thoughts

Gambling when feeling sad, distressed, or depressed

Chasing one’s losses by gambling more or with larger sums in order to regain money lost during a previous gambling episode

Lying or being otherwise deceptive in order to conceal the extent of one’s gambling

Jeopardizing and/or losing a relationship, job, or academic opportunity due to gambling

Needing to acquire money from other people in order to relieve financial problems caused by gambling

Statistics for Gambling Disorder

Estimations vary among sources, but most reports indicate that about 1 percent of the U.S. population exhibit behaviors that meet the criteria for a diagnosis of gambling disorder. Studies suggest that gambling disorder is about three times more common among men than among women. Gambling disorder appears to be much more common among older teens and younger adults. For example, the National Center for Responsible Gaming indicates that about 6 percent of college students have a serious problem with gambling.

The American Psychiatric Association reports that about half of all people who have gambling disorder have thought about suicide, and that 17 percent of people with this disorder have attempted to kill themselves.

Causes & Risks

Causes & Risk Factors of Gambling Disorder

As is the case with substance use disorders, a behavioral compulsion such as gambling disorder may result from the confluence of several genetic and environmental factors, including the following:

Genetic: People whose parents struggled or continue to struggle with gambling disorder are at increased risk for developing a similar problem. Also, gambling disorder appears to be more prevalent among individuals who struggle with another mental health disorder, which suggests that a genetic component may be at least partially responsible.

Environmental: Growing up in a family or community where gambling is common increases the likelihood that a person will engage in this behavior which, in turn, raises the risk of developing a gambling-related compulsion. Other environmental factors that may precipitate a gambling problem include experiencing stress, succumbing to peer pressure, and taking certain medications, such as ones that are sometimes prescribed to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome.

Risk Factors:

Being under age 30

Being male

Having a family history of gambling disorder

Gambling at an early age

Personal history of substance abuse

Personal history of another mental health disorder

Having a highly competitive personality

Having access to legal or illegal gambling facilities

Signs and Symptoms

Signs & Symptoms of Gambling Disorder

The following are among the common signs that may indicate that a person has developed gambling disorder:

Behavioral symptoms:

Neglecting family, friends, and other responsibilities in order to gamble

Chasing losses (betting more in order to recoup past losses)

Betting with increasing frequency

Betting larger and larger sums of money

Failing in one’s efforts to gamble less or to stop completely

Lying about one’s gambling behaviors

Borrowing or stealing money in order to cover losses or to continue to gamble

Physical symptoms:

Feeling an energy boost when winning

Feeling physical exhaustion after losing

Irregular sleep patterns

Failing health due to poor diet and lack of exercise

Cognitive symptoms:

Obsession with gambling

Inability to concentrate or focus

Impulsivity

Impaired judgment

Psychosocial symptoms:

Feeling the need to gamble as a way of dealing with sadness or stress

Reliving or re-experiencing past gambling episodes

Experiencing guilt or remorse after gambling

Withdrawing from friends, family, and non-gambling activities

Suicidal ideation

Effects

Effects of Gambling Disorder

Untreated gambling disorder can cause lasting damage to a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and/or social well-being, including the following negative outcomes and effects:

Family discord

Separation and divorce

Loss of child custody

Financial devastation

Job loss and unemployment

Substance abuse

Legal problems

Suicidal ideation

Co-Occurring Disorders

Gambling Disorder and Co-Occurring Disorders

In many cases, people who have gambling disorder are also dealing with another mental health problem. The following are examples of mental health conditions that have been known to co-occur in individuals who have also been diagnosed with gambling disorder: